There literally was something in the air in Joel Speckman’s native Parker, Colorado prior to his move to join Phoenix PHH Prep’s boys basketball on Sept. 8.

His native Denver hometown area’s Front Range had a unprecented temperature swing. It went from a September record 102 degrees the day prior to freezing temperatures with 3.9 inches of snow within 48 hours, per the National Weather Service. It was the first time in 20 years that the Denver area received snow that month. 

In addition, Colorado experienced the Pine Gulch Fire, the largest wildfire in state history. Summit Daily reports that it ripped through 139,007 acres before nearly 95% of it was contained, 

“I left just before it started snowing, but it was snowing ash. The biggest difference is that it’s 118 here (in Arizona),” Speckman said while laughing.

The 6-8, 220-pound junior power forward and lawn care business owner, Speckman adds more heat to the elite talent of the PHH Prep national team for the Grind Session this winter. 

Speckman was the leading rebounder and shot blocker for his former high school Chaparral (Parker, Colorado), which went 19-7 last season. He helped lead the Wolverines to the CHSAA state semifinals, averaging 8.0 points on 53% shooting, 6.0 boards and 1.5 blocks. 

Speckman is a multitalented big with soft hands and a chiseled frame. He can square up to the basket and attack defenders off the dribble, and is comfortable in defensive switches to guard backcourt players with his agile footwork. 

“Not very often you can add a piece like Joel. He has a work ethic second to none and an unbelievable skill set,” PHH Prep boys basketball national team head coach John Ortega said. “Joel will be a huge factor in the success of our program this season.”

Speckman has received two division college offers from California-Riverside and Portland State.

He didn’t have much intention of leaving Colorado until he met Ortega. Speckman was introduced to Ortega through Speckman father’s friend, whose son Robby Kinnard, Jr. plays for PHH Prep’s post-graduate team.

Speckman is currently staying with a family friend in Scottsdale while his family remains in Parker.

“J.O. did a great job and sold us on it and I’m loving it,” Speckman said of his new coach.

He also transferred to PHH Prep because the Colorado High School Athletic Association limited its basketball season schedule to 16 games this winter because of the pandemic, Speckman said.

PHH Prep’s national independent schedule consists of 55 games through March, including 20 Grind Session games in which the national top prep circuit of teams from the U.S., Canada and Bahamas compete.

The Fire is looking to be the second Arizona team in three seasons to win the games. Scottsdale Bella Vista Prep won the 2019 Grind Session World Championship. 

“There’s a different competition level here. You have to go at everything with 100% whether there’s a rebound or a finish or whatever it comes down to,” Speckman said. “I’ve always wanted to be in the NBA but it’s just realizing how much work it actually takes to be one of the best and that’s where I want to take it. I felt coming to PHH Prep was definitely the best decision to put me in that position.”

‘All In One’ lawn care Speckman’s biggest play

Speckman is all business when he plays basketball, but he loves capitalizing on mowing lawns even more.

Speckman has been playing since basketball since he was three years old. But when he launched his own company, All In One property mowing as a seventh grader, he discovered another passion. 

“It started out small. I ended up buying my neighbor’s mower that he was trying to sell for cheap,” Speckman said. “I mowed our (family’s) three acres and then I mowed our neighbors three acres. Then somebody else said, ‘Do you want to do ours?’ I said, ‘Of course.’ Then it just kind of built from there.”

His business now has up to 40 clients and he hired two staff workers, also Chaparral students, and pays them $15 per hour. Speckman sent out 2,500 printed flyers to promote the business this summer.

He has two John Deere riding lawnmowers and charges $55 per acre and $45 per hour for weed eating. 

“I’ve always been an entrepreneur,” Speckman said. “It was just something for me to do over the summer. I was into basketball but I wasn’t super into basketball. I was more into the business side of seeing what I can do to make money.”

Despite moving to Arizona, Speckman plans to continue business as usual back home. He’s having his 12-year-old brother Kade Speckman and mother Channa oversee the business and his father Joel, Sr. remain as the equipment manager.

“I didn’t want to shut it down because there’s always money to be made. You can keep doing it even when you’re far away,” Speckman said. 

Speckman is The Lawnmower Man who loves preserving acres. But he’s also consummate team player ready to take on his new challenge in the desert to win a championship. 

“I’m excited to help us take it there. It just be up to us to see how bad we all want it,” Speckman said. “It’s about making the team better, not just so much as me, but helping us get to the goal that we all want.”

Have tips for us? Reach the reporter at [email protected] or at 480-486-4721. Follow his Twitter @iam_DanaScott.

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